Teacher

Teacher

Alicia Fabiani

Alicia began practicing yoga in 2008 as a way to maintain her physique and increase flexibility after years of training as a swimmer and runner; as well as a way to help with the stressful side effects of a busy career in the film industry. What she found was more than mobility, strength and sense of calm, she found the physical challenges and re- solve gained on the mat transfer seamlessly to daily life.

After years of practice on the Westside of Los Angeles with Bryan Kest, CORE Power Yoga and in Gainesville and after recently competing in her first ITU AG World Sprint Triathlon in Lausanne, Switzerland, Alicia received her Yoga Alliance RYT 200 Hour certification at Yoga Garage in Florence, Italy. She continues to run, bike and swim as well as pursue her professional ventures. She finds new challenges and opportunities to grow on and off the mat and says this practice readies her each day for both.

As a University of Florida Alumni, she is excited to teach and share her experience with the Gainesville community. As a teacher, Alicia hopes her students take away the same sense of mobility, readiness and awareness she has gained from this practice. She focuses on building a mindful connection between breath and body through asana and pranayama work.

As she says “It’s simple really. It’s all about showing up, practicing and pushing yourself to your limits, wherever you may be. This is your journey and only you can define where you will go, but it all starts from where you are.” She looks forward to welcoming you at her next class where you can expect to work on building strength, flexibility and a sense of center through an inviting, dynamic and challenging practice.

Co-Owner/Teacher

Co-Owner/Teacher

Betsy Carlson

Betsy Carlson brings 13 years of teaching experience to her strong and dynamic, alignment- based flow class. Drawing from her studies of both Iyengar and Vinyasa yoga, her years ofdance experience, and tying in intersections with pilates, cross training, and movement therapy,  she creates a powerful experience for her students.

‘I draw inspiration from everywhere! From life, philosophy, poetry, music, whatever is in therealm of artistic expression- I seek out what moves me and I bring it to class.’ 
Her classes are unique in that they are strong and dynamic, but also precise, combining bothlonger held poses (asanas) with movement sequences.  The thread that links everythingtogether is the breath that holds the dance between the asanas.

‘The transition from one pose to the next is just as powerful as the pose. I create flows by linkingposes together.  In the repetition of the flow your mind can relax and you can enjoy thesensation of being in your body while it moves from one pose to the next.  At the same time, Iemphasize technique and control within the flows allowing this dynamic practice to be spaciousand safe.’

‘Yoga is where my heart is. It helps with everything. If I don’t do it I don’t feel right, I don’t feelcomplete. It gives my life meaning because it is where I connect – to myself and to others. It is ajoy to teach. I get to know people outside of their professional lives, people of all walks of life,  and I get to experience a real human connection. When I am with my yoga community I feel,  ‘these are my people’

Teacher

Teacher

Hannah Tilley

Growing up in an appearance-centric society, Hannah struggled with self-love for as long as she can remember. She first arrived on her mat to lose weight, get toned, exercise, but she quickly found that yoga was so much more.

She enjoys making time for exploration in and moving through each pose, as well as fine-tuning anatomically to avoid injury. To her, the asana practice is like a dance, rhythmic and controlled, flowing and freeing. She brings with her the knowledge of the human body, currently studying to become a physical therapist at UF, as well as a child-like playfulness and creativity, striving to learn more about the nuances in each of her students’ bodies.

Not only has yoga become a useful tool for creativity, crafting beauty within her body, and applying what she learned in school to her life, yoga has allowed her to explore what it means to truly and unconditionally love her body, mind, and soul. She decided to teach so she could share with as many people as she can the idea of loving oneself without bounds or stipulations, and pushing them to embrace differences from person to person and day to day as beautiful. Respect, above all else, is her philosophy.

Teacher

Teacher

Jenna Horner

Jenna Horner came to her yoga practice for the same reasons many people do- desiring more balance, strength and flexibility. She knew yoga was a good way to begin on that journey. What she didn’t expect is what yoga provides for mind and spirit in addition to the physical body. 

“Yoga has truly changed the way I live my life. Its has brought more balance, strength and flexibility off my mat, and I strive to offer the same for students within my classes. 

Yoga has allowed me to fully come into myself in a way thats hard to put into words.”

Becoming a teacher strengthened her personal practice and helped create a deeper understanding for other peoples practice, “I do my best to provide an energetic class that is both accessible and challenging. I embrace anyone in all levels of a yoga practice because it brings together different people in one space, and unifies students through breath and movement.”

Teacher

Jenny Roberts

My mother introduced me to yoga when I was nine years old. I have known of asana and pranayama ever since.

Yoga is the juice of life. It adds a deeper tone to the music of life. I began regular practice of hatha-yoga in the 80’s to recover from child birth and since 1994 as a teacher.

My approach is practical: use yoga as a therapeutic tool for well being. Knowledge of Ayurveda; chakra balancing; breath and the parasympathetic system; the bio electricity in our bodies affecting hormones and mental activity; all of these blend into my practice.

I have a daily bhakti-yoga sadhana that lends a spiritual component to my teaching style. My students have benefited tremendously from this approach and I feel very grateful to pass on my knowledge of this ancient practice to you.

I am certified by Yoga Alliance RYT500


Teacher

Teacher

Kathy Anderson

Though having practiced yoga in some form for over a decade, Kathy rediscovered yoga in 2016 through the recommendation of a dear friend. “I began accompanying her to Betsy’s Saturday morning invigorate class. Initially, I had committed to attending 10 classes. I soon came to realize that yoga had become something I truly needed for myself. It became my purposeful pause, time just for myself, time to feel alive within.”

Over time, her practice expanded beyond the studio. She began to practice more regularly at home, as well as opening her attendance to other local studios classes/events. “Most of the time, I showed up because I knew I just needed to be on the mat, breathing, clearing the chaos from my mind. My personal journey and motivations attributed to yoga stemmed from feeling proud of myself for just getting in the car to get myself to the studio, for taking that initial step. For me, Yoga has transformed from an alternative fitness routine to a discovery of self love and a starting point for healing.”

At the end of 2019, she became an intern at Searchlight as well as a karma Yogi for APEX/YogaPod in 2020. “I enjoy volunteering and giving back to my community. Doing so for these studios also opened the opportunity for my attendance to classes that fit into my full schedule. If I could fit it in, I was marking down and showing up. The pandemic brought on a new level of self awareness. Those months, I found myself on my mat at least twice a day; most days. I swapped out TV/ Media time for self love. This commitment to showing up yielded a safe space where I could focus on what was in my control as well as keeping my mental health inline with my physical health as best as possible.”

She is currently pursuing her teaching degree with a focus on Health Education. “I knew my passion for teaching others would also include yoga someday. August 1, 2020 I signed up for my 200 YTT through Authentic Movements. It has been such an eye opening experience to come to understand the roots of this accent practice. The WHY behind it all and HOW it can be experienced for each practice and person.

“My hope is that I am able to continue to show up for myself in my own practice, that I am able to share this energy with my students, and that I am able to offer an experience that brings forth the benefits of self love beyond the mat.”

Teacher

Teacher

Kelly Watson

Kelly is a single mom to four amazing girls. She is from Gainesville and went to UF and has a background in fitness and personal training.She got into yoga about seven years ago and started teaching three years ago.

She started her practice at Searchlight. A friend of hers brought her to Betsy‘s class and it was a life-changing experience and she has done yoga almost daily ever since.

She loves spending time at the beach and outdoors and being active. She loves the connection and community that yoga provides. “The ability to tap into my breath, finding connection between breath and movement, and being able to drop into the flow state has been life changing both on and off the mat.”

“I really like to focus on alignment and help students tap in to their strength, while dropping into the flow state and just finding the shapes and expressions that feel good in their bodies. I’m extremely grateful for my yoga practice and yoga community. So excited to be joining the Searchlight team!”

Teacher

Teacher

Kim Holton

Kim began studying yoga in 1998 and teaching in 2002. She has completed teacher trainings through Sivandanda, Nosara, and the Kundalini Research Institute and received her certification in yoga nidra through the Amrit Yoga Institute. Kim has also trained with numerous nationally recognized yoga teachers in the traditions of Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kripalu, Kundalini, Restorative, and Vinyasa. She has taught and worked at the Omega Institute and Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Kim currently resides in Gainesville, Florida, where she teaches regular classes throughout the community. Kim completed her Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance with a specialization in Health Behavior at the University of Florida and now serves as a faculty member in UF's Department of Health Education and Behavior.

Teacher

Teacher

Kira Benhamo-Lewis

Kira has been teaching yoga for over eleven years and a student for longer. She has completed many different teacher trainings and traveled internationally to learn more about yoga. Her goal was to find “the yoga teacher” only to realize that the best teacher for her practice is the mat and time spent there.

Kira has practiced and taught a variety of different styles and schools of yoga including Ashtanga, Yin, Hatha, and Vinyasa yoga. After a year long hiatus due to pregnancy she is excited to get back on the mat and learn yoga from a whole new perspective.

E-RYT200, RYT500

Teacher

Teacher

Lauren Hyden

Lauren began practicing yoga while playing collegiate soccer as a means to stretch and breathe. What started solely as physical practice has transformed into a 10-year journey that seems to continue to unfold and open new doors. As a teacher, Lauren offers both active and passive style classes. In active styles, she draws on principles of alignment and biomechanics for a safe practice that fosters heightened body awareness. In more passive styles, she focuses on the body-mind connection and quality of breath to cultivate a space for inward exploration and transformation. Lauren completed her 200-hour training in Kerala, India with a focus on Sivananda yoga, as well as additional training in Yin, Restorative and Hot yoga.

Teacher

Liz Chang

Liz found yoga through exercise.  Before yoga, working out had always been a chore. She would head to the gym and think to herself, "What is the least torturous thing I can do here?" Once she found yoga, she was shocked by how consistently excited she was...to exercise.  Since then, Liz’s love of yoga has progressed beyond simply joyous exercise and has become an integrated healing tool for her mind, body, and soul.  Furthermore, Liz is grateful to have been a part of the warm, welcoming Gainesville yoga community for nearly fifteen years.  Walking into a yoga class feels like home; moving into the first downward dog feels like a sigh of relief.

During these years, when she wasn’t in the yoga studio, Liz spent much of her time in a high school English classroom.  She decided to combine her love of both yoga and teaching, and in 2010, she earned her 200-hour yoga teaching certification.  Her teachers Melissa Montilla and Tzahi Moskovitz facilitated YogaWorks training, a school underpinned by the Ashtanga and Iyengar styles of yoga.  After completing her teacher training, Liz taught a variety of yoga classes for several years in Gainesville.  She is excited to be returning to yoga instruction after taking a few years off after the birth of her child.

As both a practitioner and a teacher, Liz loves that yoga is a practice.  For Liz, “the practice is always evolving in an inter-connected, non-linear way.  There is no end point, no certificate of completion; even the most experienced yogis have more to learn.  This idea is profound both on the mat and off, as it serves as a metaphor for life and its challenges.  One of the aspects of practicing yoga that I love most is reaching for a difficult pose.  Some have come, others I am still working on, despite many years of trying.  There is beauty in the achievement, but there is also beauty, perhaps even more, in the journey.”  


Teacher

Madison Ashley

Madison lived in Hong Kong for nearly five years from 2015 to 2020, where she co-founded a corporate wellness startup promoting natural medicine and preventative health in high-stress work environments. It was in Hong Kong that Madison stepped onto the path of yoga and eventually became certified as a teacher.

As a yoga teacher, Madison focuses on breath awareness, embodied presence and technical alignment principles. Her classes are challenging, invigorating and peace-inspiring. Madison weaves wisdom teachings of the yogic path into her daily life and class facilitation.
 

Teacher

Teacher

Melissa (Honey Bee) Baker

Melissa (Honey Bee) Baker is a progressive spiritual teacher and author who captivates people who desire to improve their life through awareness and yogic techniques. Her passion is offered through Kundalini Yoga, cooking, music, spiritual-living workshops and writing. Her audience is fascinated by her serene flute playing, calm presence, and ability to tune-in to each persons’ needs. Her teachings emphasize disconnecting from digital life, to connect to our inner technology. She has a bachelor's degree in Health Education and Behavior from the University of Florida, and continues her studies of Ayurveda and Yoga from trainings around the world. You can find out more about Honey Bee at melissahoneybee.com

Teacher

Teacher

Molly Cellon

Molly finds joy, stability and connection through yoga and the yoga community. Molly is a Gainesville native who found yoga in 2012 as a way to exercise. It wasn’t until she joined the Searchlight community in 2015 that she realized it could be so much more. “I found myself leaving class with a calmer, quieter mind and a deeper sense of awareness and well-being.” Molly began to prioritize her yoga practice and fell in love with showing up on her mat.

In 2017, Molly traveled to Bali, Indonesia for her first 200 Hour Teacher Training. When she started to share the gift of yoga with others, she recognized that teaching would forever be a part of her life. Molly has since done multiple trainings and workshops and is passionate about being a life long student.

Molly brings a warmth and strength into her classes and hopes to help students feel empowered on and off the mat. In her free time, Molly loves being outdoors, soaking up sunshine, plants/plant medicine, baking sweet treats, a good cup of coffee and spending time on her homestead with her partner and animals. 

Teacher

Teacher

Teresa Drake

"I didn't start yoga until I was in my forties; those first few classes were much harder than I thought they'd be!"

Teresa has been an active member of Gainesville’s yoga community since 2008. She is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and has taught over 1200 studio classes. Additionally, she’s had specialized training in yin yoga with Sarah Powers and trauma- responsive yoga with Dana Moore. Her favorite personal practices are mindful vinyasa flow and yin. Teresa strives to infuse all the yoga she teaches with compassion, present awareness, gratefulness and smiles. She shares her home with her partner of 20 years, her mother, six cats, one dog, a bunch of chickens and lots and lots of flowers.

"I had never been taught to breathe while I moved, or at least had never thought about that. I stuck with it for about three or four classes and then suddenly - it was the most magical thing - i remember walking out and thinking, 'Woah, I'm in reality!' I realized that in that hour I hadn't thought about my to-do list, I hadn't thought about my job, I felt completely focused. Nothing has ever done that for me before."

In Teresa's classes you're encouraged to check-in with yourself before, during and after. Her classes are an opportunity to move deeply, consciously and continuously through Vinyasa. The focus is on fusing breath and alignment, each of her sequences is designed to foster connection, strength and opening in the body, mind and spirit.

'When a yoga class is challenging, you are so focused on what you're doing there's no time to think about what just happened, or what's coming next. You have to be in that moment, right there. We need to be able to be at peace with being uncomfortable because so much of life can be uncomfortable. Practicing yoga is about the process, you're constantly learning new things about yourself. It helps you walk through life more consciously.'

'I wanted to teach because I wanted to learn more. And yoga has so profoundly affected my life; I just want to introduce as many people as I can to it. In society today we don't have too many mindful practices, and yoga is a mindful practice. Sometimes when I teach I'll talk about the neuroscience, what happens with our brain when we practice focused attention. I want to share this practice that increases people's health physically, spiritually and emotionally. It's just a miracle.'